ICE Reactivates Spyware Contract with Israeli Firm Paragon

ICE Reactivates Spyware Contract with Israeli Firm Paragon

ICE Reactivates Contract with Spyware Maker Paragon U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has quietly reactivated its $2 million contract with Israeli spyware maker Paragon. The move comes nearly a year after the Biden administration halted the agreement under a “stop work order” to review whether it complied with strict rules on government spyware use. Image Credits:Mario Tama / Getty Images Public records show that ICE officially lifted the suspension on August 30, giving the green light for Paragon’s surveillance tools to move forward inside the agency. Why the Contract Was Suspended The original deal faced scrutiny because of an executive order limiting U.S. agencies from using commercial spyware that could endanger human rights or target Americans abroad. Critics feared that Paragon’s tools—like other spyware programs—might cross those lines. For months, it appeared the contract would quietly expire. Instead, ICE has doubled down by reviving it, raising fresh concerns about tr…